Love Again Revised
by Snuffle Bunny
Summary: Tien meets a girl and falls in love.  But, is he prepared for what is about to happen when strange things begin happening the more they see each other?  Rated T for mild language.  Please R&R.
1. Meeting the Girl

"Daisy. Look. Have you seen that guy around here before?" Veronica asked her best friend sitting next to her on the step outside the ice cream parlor. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day in mid September and both girls had decided to get an ice cream cone.

Daisy glanced up to look. "Nope," answered Daisy.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself?" asked Veronica, finishing her ice cream. "Usually when you see someone new, you want to get to know them right away. Besides, I'm surprised that you've never seen him before. It seems like you know everybody. Don't you think it's a bit weird that he has three eyes?"

"Well, obviously I don't know everyone," answered Daisy finishing her cone. She looked at Veronica. "Why are you so worried about me not introducing myself right away any ways? So what if he has three eyes. You wouldn't want someone to make fun of the way you look"

Veronica blushed and hung her head, looking at the ground in front of her. "Well, I'm just surprised you've never seen him before. I think that he's kind of cute."

Smiling, Daisy asked, "Why don't you introduce yourself then?"

"I… I… I don't know Daisy," Veronica stammered, looking at Daisy unhappily. "You know what happened the last time I fell in love with a really cute guy. I don't want it to happen again."

"Not all men are like that," Daisy said, wrapping her arms around Veronica, resting her head on Veronica's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her best friend.

"And this is coming from the girl who has never had a boyfriend before," Veronica replied coldly.

Letting go, Daisy sat upright and wrapped her arms around her legs, staring at the ground in front of her, lost in thought. "You know I haven't found the right one yet. Neither have you, but you will."

"You're too picky when it comes to the one," Veronica answered, emphasizing on the one.

"Is it wrong knowing what I want in a guy and waiting for him?" Daisy asked her as she looked up at the man. Veronica sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing and followed Daisy's gaze. The tall, muscular male was leaning up against a light post. _He must be waiting for someone_ Daisy thought to herself. A few seconds later, a short fella with pure white skin and red circles on his cheeks walked out of the store with some bags in his hands and began talking to the one leaning against the light post.

"He looks like he should be in the circus," Veronica blurted out.

Daisy slapped her across the back of her head. "Veronica! Don't be so mean!"

"But…"

"No buts! I'm going over there right now and introduce myself," Daisy stated as she rose from the steps of the ice cream parlor, straightening her white, long sleeved summer dress that clung to her figure and brushing back her long black bangs that framed her face.

"Did you have to slap me so hard?" Veronica asked as she stood up with Daisy, rubbing her head. "I think I'm going to get a bump on my head."

"Oh, boohoo. Is poor Veronica going to start crying?"

"Very funny," Veronica muttered.

"Do you need me to take you to the hospital, or do you want me to kiss your booboo?"

Veronica playfully punched Daisy in the arm. "Why did you hit me so hard?" Daisy mimicked and started laughing. Veronica couldn't help but to do the same.

Daisy stopped laughing and slapped Veronica again. She stopped laughing and looked at Daisy, puzzled, only to see her smiling. "What did I do now?"

"You're distracting me."

"Sorry to keep your majesty waiting," Veronica said jokingly as she bowed a little, making both of them laugh.

"Well, here goes nothing," Daisy told Veronica and headed over to where the guys were.

"You two are new to this town aren't you?" Daisy asked the two as she approached them.

"How'd you know?" asked the short one as they both looked at her. .

"I know everyone in this town. I'm Daisy."

"I'm Choatzu," the short one responded.

"Tien," responded the taller one.

"It's very nice to meet you guys…"

"DAISY!" Tien and Choatzu looked up as Daisy turned around to see a beautiful young woman with long, blond hair running towards them. "Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked Daisy once she reached them.

"Um…" Daisy thought as she scratched her head.

"Where's Veronica?"

"She's over there by the ice cream parlor."

"Daisy, if this isn't a good time for you," Tien butted in, "then Choatzu and I should get going." Daisy turned around and disappointedly looked at Tien and Choatzu.

"You guys have to go so soon? I wanted to talk to you some more."

"Why?" asked Tien.

"Well, I just met you and I want to get to know you better."

"Daisy, who are these two?" asked the young woman. Daisy turned so that she was facing sideways to all of them.

"Vanessa," Daisy said glancing at her, "this is Tien and Choatzu." Daisy glanced at Tien and Choatzu and said to them, "This is Vanessa."

"Daisy, how 'bout we meet you somewhere sometime?" Choatzu asked.

"Sure," Daisy responded.

"Daisy," Vanessa chimed in before Daisy was able to say anything else to Choatzu. "You and Veronica were supposed to meet me for lunch to discuss some business."

"Oops. I forgot," Daisy said as she gave Vanessa an apologetic look.

"I figured as much. C'mon, let's go." Vanessa turned around and started to leave.

"Daisy," Choatzu chimed in before Daisy had a chance to leave. "When would be good for you to meet up again?" Vanessa stopped and sighed.

"Hmm," Daisy thought as she rested her left elbow in her right hand and she stroked her chin. "How does this Saturday afternoon at the park just outside town sound?"

"Saturday sounds great," replied Choatzu eagerly.

"Let's go Daisy! We can't keep waiting all day!" Vanessa said impatiently.

"I will see you guys Saturday then. I have to go before Vanessa here bites my head off," said Daisy.

"Bye," Tien and Choatzu said at the same time as they walked away in the opposite direction. Seeing them leave, Veronica jogged over to where Daisy and Vanessa were standing.

"So what were they like?" Veronica asked Daisy once she approached them.

"I don't know. It's hard to say since I was interrupted," replied Daisy, glaring at Vanessa.

"So, it's all my fault, huh?" asked Vanessa crossing her arms. "You were the one who forgot about our meeting."

"Oops. I forgot too," said Veronica.

"What am I?" Vanessa asked as she slapped herself in the forehead. "Your secretary?"

"Hmm… Secretary? Not a bad idea. I should get one of them," Daisy said jokingly, stroking her chin. Vanessa punched Daisy playfully in the arm making Veronica giggle.

"Wow. Déjà vu," said Daisy with a smile making Veronica burst into laughter.

"Ok you goofball. Let's go get some lunch," Vanessa said. She couldn't help but to smile at Daisy. Sometimes it was hard for her to believe how smart she really was when she seemed to be so naive.

* * *

"Why do you want to meet that girl so bad?" Tien asked Choatzu as they flew through the sky.

"I don't know," Choatzu answered. "It's just that," Choatzu paused for a moment. "She seemed so nice and…"

"You like her don't you?" Tien interrupted, glancing at him.

"No!" Choatzu responded quickly blushing a little. Tien looked back to where they were headed. They had reached their log cabin in the mountains and landed outside.

Tien looked down at his small friend, who stood next to him. "You don't act like you don't like her." Choatzu blushed a little more. "Why?" he asked.

Choatzu looked up at Tien. "It's just that she was so nice and beautiful. We hadn't had a girl around since you and Launch broke up. Don't you think it's about time to find another girl?" Tien looked away at the mention of Launch. "C'mon Tien. Give Daisy a chance. We don't have to train all the time now that Frieza is dead.

"I don't know," said Tien softly as he walked inside the cabin.

"Please Tien. Give her a chance. Do it for me, please," pleaded Choatzu, following Tien inside and placing the bags on the counter in the kitchen.

"I'll think about it Choatzu," Tien replied as he sat down on the couch. "Now please drop the subject." Choatzu sighed and began to put the things that were in the bags away. He could tell there was something on Tien's mind since they could practically read each other's minds and was wondering why Tien wouldn't tell him and had shut off the link between their minds.


	2. Meeting in the Park

On Saturday afternoon, Tien and Choatzu made their way to the park. Tien was flying without a hurry, lost in thought. Choatzu flew ahead of him, eager to get to the park. Tien looked at Choatzu. "Why are you in such a hurry to get there, Choatzu?"

"Just because you don't want to go doesn't mean I don't want to," Choatzu snapped.

Tien fell silent for a few minutes. After a while, Tien spoke up again. "We should land outside the city and walk the rest of the way to the park. That way, we won't draw attention to ourselves." Choatzu nodded in agreement and they flew the rest of the way in silence.

A little while later, they landed outside the city and walked the rest of the way to the park. When they arrived at the park, they found Daisy in an open field with Veronica, Vanessa, and a few teenagers. Daisy and Vanessa were split up into two different teams with the teens, playing soccer, while Veronica kept score. Choatzu enthusiastically ran to where they were playing.

"Choatzu! Wait!" Tien exclaimed. Choatzu ignored Tien and kept running in the direction of the girls. Tien sighed and followed Choatzu.

Choatzu stood at the sidelines and watched as Daisy kicked the ball down the field, maneuvering around the opponents trying to get the ball from her. Vanessa ran from the opposite side of the field, heading straight for Daisy. Daisy smiled and kept running at Vanessa. When Vanessa was within a few feet of Daisy, Daisy kicked the ball into the air above Vanessa's head. As Vanessa stopped to turn around, Daisy jumped into the air, flipped in midair, and kicked the ball into the net. All her teammates cheered as she landed back on the ground.

"Nice shot," Vanessa said as she approached Daisy. "You always keep me on my toes."

"Daisy!" Veronica shouted as she ran to the two girls. "Daisy, they actually came," Veronica finished once she reached them. All of them were wearing similar sports t-shirts that clung to their figures, black spandex sports shorts and tennis shoes. Vanessa and Daisy looked up to see Choatzu and Tien standing on the sidelines.

"Well, you guys," Daisy said to everyone. "I think that I'm done playing for now, but you guys can continue to playing without me."

"You should join us in another game sometime," one of the teenagers spoke up.

"I'd be glad to," Daisy replied. "See you guys later." Everyone said their goodbyes as she walked away from the group.

"Hey," Daisy welcomed as she jogged up to Tien and Choatzu.

"Hey," they both replied.

"You didn't have to stop playing with them," Tien said. "We could come back some other time."

"Nah," Daisy answered. "It's fine. I've been playing with them for hours. I could use a break. Let's go for a walk."

"Don't you want to watch the rest of them play?" Tien asked as he looked to see the group had started another game.

"Like I said, I need a break to cool down a bit and a walk would be a great way to do that," Daisy answered as she began to walk backwards away from them. "You're more than welcome to join me if you want. I'd hate to see you come all the way out here for nothing. If I were you, I'd make this trip worthwhile." Daisy turned around and walked away.

"Wait up, Daisy! I'm coming!" Choatzu yelled as he went after her.

"Choatzu," Tien said.

Choatzu turned and gazed at Tien. "I'm going with her, Tien." Choatzu left Tien and ran after Daisy to catch up with her. Tien hesitated and watched the two walk away. Giving off a sigh, he began to slowly follow them.

"What's the deal with Tien?" Daisy asked Choatzu once he caught up with her.

"I don't know," he answered. "He hasn't told me what was on his mind ever since the first time we met you."

"Is he always like that?" Daisy asked.

"Not usually," Choatzu answered. "He only tends to get like that when he's around people he doesn't like."

"So, he doesn't like me," Daisy said in more of a statement than a question.

"No, no. I didn't mean it that way."

"What other way does it mean?"

Choatzu stopped and hung his head. Daisy stopped a few steps in front of him and turned around to face him. "Tien usually doesn't act this way around new people," Choatzu told her. "I can tell he really doesn't mean to be the way he does. He's just been acting weird since we met you."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Daisy said calmly. By that time, Tien had caught up with them. Daisy looked at him and gave him a smile.

"What are you looking at?" asked Tien.

"I don't know. I'll let you know when I figure that out," Daisy answered sarcastically.

"You didn't have to be so mean about it," Tien snapped.

"Me? Mean?" Daisy asked him angrily

"That's right. You heard me," Tien said, still snapping at her.

"Listen here, Tien," Daisy said, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't know what your problem is or what you have against me, but whatever it is, I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it."

"Tien!" Choatzu spoke up at Tien as Daisy crossed her arms. "Please give her a chance," he pleaded. "I really want to be friends with her and I don't like to see you fighting with her."

"I really want to be friends with the both of you guys," Daisy said. "Like Choatzu said, please give me a chance. I'm really not so mean, and from what Choatzu tells me, neither are you." Tien looked up from Choatzu to Daisy with a frown on his face. "Please, Tien."

"Fine," he said calmly to Daisy. "I'll give you a chance, but I'm only doing this for Choatzu's sake." Choatzu smiled brightly and jumped up and down in excitement.

Daisy smiled also. "Thanks, Tien." Tien looked away, not saying anything. "So, what do you guys usually do?"

"Tien and I are martial artists," Choatzu replied excitedly. "We usually spend most of our time training."

"That's cool. I know some martial arts myself. Did you guys learn yourselves or did you study under someone?"

"We first trained under Krane," Tien answered. "He wanted us to become assassins like General Toa. I had looked up to Toa and wanted to be just like him." Daisy frowned, worriedly. Noticing Daisy's worried look, Tien continued. "I don't want to be an assassin any more though. Master Roshi, who was our next teacher, showed me that Krane was just using us. I gave up being an assassin after that, especially when Toa tried to kill me during a martial arts tournament.

"Well, that's good that you don't want to be an assassin anymore," Daisy said relieved. "For a moment there, I thought that the reason why you were treating me the way you were was because you were out to kill me."

"You don't have to worry about that," Choatzu chimed in. "Our friends are also martial artists. Our friend, Goku, made us realize that it wasn't worth our time to become assassins."

"He's a lot stronger than us," Tien continued. "I had made it a goal to be stronger than him, but it became nearly impossible. He's so strong that we can't keep up with him anymore."

"Sounds like you have some good friends," Daisy said a little loss of words.

"So, you said you knew some martial arts too?" Choatzu asked Daisy.

"Yeah, I do," she answered. "I don't really fight though."

"So, what exactly do you do?" Tien asked.

"Well, I just kind of go with the flow things," Daisy answered. "Mostly I work with computers and I'm also an astronomer. I also help out anybody who needs my help, like tutoring people in school or teaching a little."

"Wow, sounds like you're a very busy person," Choatzu said.

"Yeah, but it's nice that I can pick and choose my hours," Daisy answered. There was a moment of awkward silence before Daisy spoke up again. "So, do you guys play any sports?"

"Tien knows a little volleyball," Choatzu answered.

"Really?" Daisy asked as she looked at Tien and Choatzu nodded. "Want to play a quick game?" Daisy asked Tien. Tien stared at her, contemplating on an answer. "Follow me," she told him as she began to walk to the volleyball court in the park. Choatzu was quick to follow while Tien was still a little hesitant.

When they reached the volleyball court, there were a few people playing. The court was made up of beach sand and a net in the middle. Everyone greeted Daisy when she approached the court.

"You weren't kidding when you said you knew everyone in town," Choatzu commented.

"Hey, Daisy. Did you want to join us?" one of the players asked Daisy before she could respond to Choatzu.

"No," she answered. "When you're done, I want to play one on one with this guy," she said as she nodded her head over to Tien.

"Well, you guys can take the court," one of the girls said. "We've been playing for a while and I don't know about the rest of them, but I'm getting a little worn out." The girl tossed Daisy the ball as the others mumbled in agreement. "I'll stay and watch though," the girl continued. "In case you want someone to keep score."

"Sure," Daisy told her. Daisy looked up at Tien and handed him the ball. "Here, you can serve first." Tien stared at her for a moment, not quite sure if he should play or not. "Well?" she asked him, giving him a competitive smile. "Do you want to play or are you going to chicken out?"

"C'mon Tien," Choatzu spoke up. "Do it."

"Fine," Tien said, taking the ball and walking to one side of the court. "Don't come crying to me when you lose."

"Oh, I'm not the one who's going to be losing," she said as she walked onto the other side of the court. "I'm not holding back and neither should you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he said as he served the ball. The ball flew quickly past Daisy, hit the sand on the edge of the court and sunk into the ground.

"Wow," commented the girl who was keeping the score to another person who was watching. "That ball was hit so hard, Daisy couldn't react."

"I couldn't even see it," the other commented.

Daisy stood still for several seconds, shocked. _Wow_, Daisy thought to herself. She turned around and looked at the ball that had sunken into the ground. _I guess when he said he wasn't going to hold back, he wasn't kidding._

"What's the matter?" Tien asked, snapping Daisy out of her thoughts. "Can't handle it?"

"I can handle it," Daisy said after a long pause, picking up the ball and throwing it back at Tien. "Just wasn't expecting you to hit it so hard."

"Don't tell me you're going to start crying," Tien said as he caught the ball.

"Are we going to play or are you just going to stand there making sarcastic comments?"

Tien narrowed his eyes and got ready to serve as Daisy got into a ready stance. Tien served the ball just as hard as before, but this time, Daisy was able to hit the ball back over the net. The game went on for several hours. Every time someone would score, the other would score not too long afterwards. The game was tied for a while. When dusk approached, there was one point left to be scored to win the game. Daisy had gone to spike the ball over the net, but Tien managed to hit the ball back over. Daisy tried to dive and hit the ball again, but she barely missed as they both landed to the ground. Choatzu ran to Tien, cheering that he won as Daisy got back up on her feet and faced the two.

"Wow," said the girl keeping score. "I can't believe she lost."

"I know," said the other person watching. "She never loses."

"Good game," Daisy said to Tien, not moving at all.

"Yeah," Tien said with a smile. "You surprised me. Didn't think you'd put up such a good fight."

Daisy smiled and began to say something, but ended up fainting. The two people on the sidelines gasped and rushed over to Daisy.

"Daisy! Are you ok?" the girl asked worriedly, but with no response.

"I don't think she can hear us," the other replied.

"This isn't good," the girl said. "Veronica and Vanessa already went home for the night. They're usually the ones who take care of her."

"What's wrong?" Tien asked as him and Choatzu approached them.

"We don't know," the girl said.

Tien, looking at Daisy lying on the ground, noticed something on her wrists. He knelt down beside her and picked up one of her arms to get a better look. He noticed that her wrists and forearms were red, bruised, and a little bloody. _Did I do this to her?_ he asked himself. _Was I really hitting the ball that hard? She didn't have these bruises before we started playing._ Tien dropped her wrist as Daisy stirred a little, moaning, and then wincing in pain when she moved.

"What's wrong?" Tien asked her gently. "What happened?"

"Yeah, why'd you faint?" the girl asked.

Daisy opened her eyes and saw that Tien was still kneeling over her. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I haven't eaten the past week and haven't slept the past 2 days. I just feel really weak right now. Plus, I think I twisted my ankles or something."

"I'll call Vanessa," the other person said.

"No," Daisy said weakly. "I can get home myself. I'll call her when I get home. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," Daisy answered as she propped herself up on her elbows. "Go ahead and go home."

"If you say so," they said as they left.

Daisy looked at Tien. "You can go home too if you want."

Looking her in the eyes, he said, "You may have them convinced that you're fine, but you don't convince me. Since I'm the one who did this to you, at least let me take you home and get bandages on the wounds."

"No," Daisy said as she tried to get up. "You don't have to. I can take care of myself." Once she got onto her feet, she winced in pain again and fell back down to the ground. Tien caught her as she fell and picked her up off her feet. "Put me down!" she exclaimed, but was too weak to struggle.

"I'm not putting you down," he snapped at her. "I'm the one who hurt you; I'm the one who's going to help."

"I don't want your help!" she yelled weakly.

"Would you rather me leave you out here tonight?" Tien asked her. "To starve to death? To have everybody come back tomorrow and see you a mess like this?" Daisy didn't respond to his questions. "I could care less," Tien continued. "But, I couldn't live with that guilt on my conscious. Now, please, tell me where you live. I'll have Choatzu make something for you to eat once we get there."

"Head for the woods on the other side of town," Daisy said quietly, not looking at Tien. "There'll be a hidden drive. Take that all the way back to my house."

None of them spoke a word as Tien walked quickly through town. Daisy was trying as hard as she could to not fall asleep. _What if he tries to kill me?_ she thought. _I barely know this guy._ _How do I know for sure he's not an assassin?_ Fifteen minutes later, she was disrupted from her thoughts by Tien asking her, "Where's this hidden drive you were talking about?"

Daisy looked around tiredly, then pointed in the direction of the hidden drive. "Over there," she answered tiredly. Another 10 minutes went by and they finally reached a clearing in the woods with a house. It was a big house, made of stone with tall glass windows in the front, and a deck in front with 2 deck swings on each end of the deck.

"Wow!" Choatzu exclaimed. "You live here?"

"Yeah," Daisy mumbled. "You can just drop me off right here and I can take care of myself."

"I don't think so," Tien answered as he walked toward the house. "Choatzu, could you..." once he reached the door. Choatzu quickly tried to open the door before Tien could finish his sentence, but the door didn't open. "Locked," Tien mumbled to himself, then looked down at Daisy. "Where's the key to open the door?"

Daisy sighed and pointed to the flower pot next to the door. "Under there." Choatzu lifted the pot slightly and reached under the pot and felt around on the deck.

"I don't feel it," Choatzu said, placing the pot back down and looked up at Tien. Tien looked down at Daisy, about to say something.

"It's taped to the bottom of the pot," Daisy told him before Tien could say anything. Choatzu tilted the pot slightly up again and felt the bottom of the pot.

"Found it!"Choatzu said excitedly. Placing the pot back down, he unlocked the door.

"Please put the key back under the pot," Daisy told him. Choatzu did what she told him, then went back to the door, opened the door, and walked inside. Tien followed him in. Choatzu had stopped to admire the interior, while Tien paid no attention.

"Where's your room," Tien asked Daisy.

"Just put me down on the couch in the living room," she demanded.

"Where's the…" he began to ask.

"That way," she interrupted as she pointed toward the room. He followed her directions and placed her on the couch. "There's a first aid kit in the kitchen," she told him as she pointed to the other doorway in the living room.

"I'll have Choatzu make you something to eat. What would you like?" Tien asked.

"I don't care," Daisy answered. Tien sighed and looked at Choatzu.

"C'mon Choatzu," he said and walked into the kitchen. Choatzu glanced at Daisy, who paid no attention to him, and then followed Tien. When Choatzu walked into the kitchen, Tien had already found the first aid kit. Tien looked at Choatzu and said "Go ahead and make something, Choatzu."

"Like what?" Choatzu asked. "She never said what she wanted."

"I don't know, Choatzu," Tien answered with a sigh. "Just find something and make it. And when you're done, could you please clean up and put everything back where you found it."

"Ok," Choatzu responded as he began to look around the kitchen. Tien walked back into the living room and found Daisy sleeping. He stopped and stared at her, watching her sleep. A slight smile crept on his face. _I can see why Choatzu likes her so much._ Tien thought to himself. _I never really paid attention to how beautiful she is._

"_So you do like her,"_ Choatzu said to Tien telepathically. Tien narrowed his eyes a bit, losing the smile on his face.

"_Choatzu, please,"_ Tien responded back telepathically.

"_Give her a chance,"_ Choatzu pleaded again.

"_Drop it, Choatzu, and just make the food,"_ Tien snapped. Tien walked to the couch and knelt down. He opened the first aid kit and gently grabbed her arm. Startled, Daisy woke up, jumped a little, and giving off a little gasp. "It's ok," Tien said softly and gently. "It's just me."

Noticing the first aid kit sitting on the coffee table, she said to him as she reached for the kit, "I'll do it myself."

"No," he said, pushing it away from her. "I will. I did this to you and I want to make sure you're fine. It'll make me feel better knowing that you're fine."

Not saying a word, Daisy made herself comfortable on the couch. Daisy watched as Tien gently cleaned up the wounds on both arms and as he wrapped her wrists and part of her arms up in bandages. "Do you mind if I take your shoes off?" he asked her. "I'll wrap your ankles up too." Still, not saying anything, Daisy just shook her head. Tien stared into Daisy's eyes for a few seconds, seeing that there was pain in her eyes. Not a physical pain from the wounds, but from something else. He quickly glanced away, took off her shoes and socks slowly and gently, and began to gently wrap her ankles up.

"I'm sorry, Tien," Daisy said softly, still staring at him. He glanced up at her and went back to what he was doing.

"For what?" he asked.

"Everything," she answered.

Tien finished wrapping her ankles up, looked up at her, and was about to say something, but Choatzu walked into the room, carrying a tray with food. "I didn't know what you wanted," Choatzu said, placing the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch. "I hope you like soup. I make this all the time for Tien."

"Thanks, Choatzu," she said to him. "Looks great." Daisy picked up the bowl and began eating. She stopped when she noticed that Tien and Choatzu were staring at her. "Are you guys going to eat too?"

"We don't want to be rude," Tien said. "It's your house, your food."

"It'd be rude of me to not offer you guys something," Daisy said to him. "Go ahead and eat. Help yourselves to whatever you like."

"There's still some soup left, Tien, if you want some," Choatzu told him. Tien nodded and followed Choatzu in the kitchen. They ate the rest of the soup in silence, not sure what to say to each other. When they were done, Choatzu cleaned up as Tien went back into the living room to check up on Daisy. When he entered the room, he found Daisy standing, trying to keep her balance.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"To get myself a pillow and blanket," she answered.

"I don't think so," he told her.

"And why not?"she asked.

"Because you should lie down and rest while I get them for you," he answered, walking toward her to help her back down on the couch. Daisy just looked at him and sat back down on the couch by herself, with her arms folded. Tien sighed and asked, "Where is…"

"There's a closet in the hallway that has some pillows and blankets," she interrupted. Tien hesitated, and then walked out of the living room to find the closet. A couple minutes later, he came back with a pillow and blanket. Daisy grabbed the pillow out of his hand from where she was sitting and placed it behind her head, making herself comfortable as Tien unfolded the blanket and placed it on top of her. "You know you don't have to do this."

"I know," he told her. "But, I want to." Daisy looked up at him, about to say something, but then quickly fell asleep. Tien sat down in the chair across from the couch and watched her sleep, but he too, found himself drifting off to sleep, not realizing how tired he was.

7


	3. Meeting Again

Before you read:

Just to clear things up, so that it'll be less confusing:

_"telepathically talking"_

_'thoughts, thinking to self'_

"Actual talk (out loud)"

* * *

"Daisy!" shouted a familiar voice that echoed, accompanied by a door banging shut and footsteps loudly and quickly hitting the floor. Tien's eyes fluttered open when he heard Daisy's name shouted. He looked at Daisy and saw that she was stirring slightly with the noise that was going on, but had not yet come to.

_'Daisy,"_ he thought to himself. _'Shit!'_ still thinking to himself as he sprung to his feet. '_I'm still here? I hadn't intended to fall asleep. I need to get out of here before anybody notices me. Where's Choatzu?'_

"Daisy!" Vanessa stated firmly as she stepped into the room, Veronica not far behind her.

_'Damn,'_ Tien said to himself. _'So much for not getting caught.'_ Choatzu, now awake, was by Tien's side. He could sense Choatzu's uneasiness.

Quickly noticing the guys standing in the room, Vanessa's eyes narrowed. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked them coldly. "You guys shouldn't be here." Daisy, now fully awake, followed Vanessa's gaze.

"You guys are still here?" Daisy asked curiously.

"What do you mean by 'still here'?" demanded Vanessa. "You mean to tell me you let two strangers into your house?" Veronica remained silent, apprehensive.

"Tien insisted on bringing me home last night."

"And you allowed him?" Vanessa nearly shouted. "You don't even know these guys, Daisy. How can you allow some strangers into your house? How do you know they didn't do anything to you while you were sleeping?"

"We did NOT do anything to harm Daisy last night," Tien butted in, tense.

"How can I know that for sure?" Vanessa stated coldly.

"In case you haven't noticed," Tien replied just as coldly, "Daisy is bandaged up. If you were really a good friend of hers you would have noticed and examined her to see if she was ok."

"Bandaged?" Veronica finally spoke up with worry in her voice as she pushed pass Vanessa. She sat down on the couch next to Daisy. "What happened?" Vanessa had become silent, gazing at Daisy instead of Tien, but didn't budge from her spot.

"Tien and I competed in a game of volleyball yesterday. I told him not to hold back, and he didn't," Daisy started explaining with a slight smile on her face as she remembered the game the day before. Her smile disappeared as quickly as it had come as she continued. "I hadn't anticipated on him being stronger than any of the other guys I have competed against. It didn't hurt or anything, but I guess my body told me differently. I have several bruises and scratches on my arms and I possibly have sprained both my ankles. My wrists are slightly sore, but I don't think it's anything serious."

"Not anything serious?" Veronica exclaimed. "But you're all bandaged up."

"From my point of view, it looked fairly bad," Tien said. "She couldn't even stand on her own. I insisted to at least take her home and tend to any wounds. It was the least I could do for what I had done." Tien paused, realizing nobody had asked her if she was alright. "How are you feeling, Daisy?"

"I'm fine, Tien," she answered.

"Well, in that case," Vanessa began, finding her voice again. "If you feel fine, I have a lot of work that needs to be done and I want your help, Daisy. Go get ready."

"Vanessa!" Veronica exclaimed. "If Daisy has two sprained ankles, she shouldn't be out on her feel all day."

"I recommend that she remains at home today to allow her body to heal," Tien said to Vanessa.

"Unless you are a doctor, Tien, I don't think you should be telling Daisy what she needs to do," Vanessa snapped at him coldly with and icy glare.

"And what do you think you're doing to her," Tien replied just as coldly. "Sounds to me you're the one telling her what she needs to do." Vanessa clenched her fists, ready to snap.

"I should have a say in what I do with myself," Daisy said calmly. "It is MY body. Nobody, and I mean nobody, knows my body better than I do." Everyone was now quiet with their eyes fixed upon Daisy. "Vanessa, I am going to have to agree with Tien. I shouldn't be on my feet all day with two sprained ankles. I'm going to remain at home today to allow my body rest. If you don't like it, then you can just leave without a word." Daisy glared into Vanessa's eyes and kept her gaze, letting her know that she was serious. Unable to keep eye contact or having anything to say, she stormed out of the room and out of the house.

"I wonder about her sometimes," Veronica spoke up after a long awkward silence.

"We should leave," Tien spoke up. "C'mon Choatzu." He strolled across the room, heading for the doorway.

"Tien, wait," Choatzu said, not moving. Tien stopped, turning slightly, glancing back at Choatzu, who was staring at Daisy.

"Daisy, I can make you some breakfast if you'd like," Choatzu said to Daisy.

"I'm going to have Veronica help me out today," Daisy told him. "There are some things her and I need to discuss alone."

"Ok," Choatzu said disappointedly. "Is it ok if we came back tomorrow to check up on you?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Daisy told him. Choatzu's face brightened up.

"I don't know," Tien spoke up.

"But Tien…" Choatzu protested.

"Let's go, Choatzu," Tien stated firmly and walked out of the room. Choatzu reluctantly followed Tien.

When Choatzu approached the doorway, he glanced back at Daisy. "Bye," he said to her, waving, then hurried to catch up with Tien.

"After they spent the night here, you're still willing to allow them to come back? Or even see them again?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah," Daisy replied. "It's not like they did anything. Besides, last night was the first night I have slept well in I don't know how long."

"But, what if Vanessa is right and they have done something?" Veronica asked worriedly. "You don't know that. They could have stolen something; you just don't know it yet. Or what if they did something worse than that? They could have harmed you."

"Veronica. Everything is fine. Nothing happened."

"I'm surprised you even agreed for them to bring you home last night. I know how particular you are about allowing people know where you reside."

"What was I supposed to do, Veronica? Last night was the first night I have eaten or slept in a week. After our game ended, I felt weak and fainted."

"What?"

"I must have not been unconscious for long though. I awakened with those two and the few that were watching the game standing beside me, trying to figure out what to do. I told the few that were watching to go home. I attempted standing on my own, but I was too weak to continue standing. It wasn't until Tien pointed it out that I had realized how much of a toll it had taken on my body. He felt bad and insisted to at least take care of the injuries. He carried me here and took care of me."

"You allowed him?" Veronica asked a little shocked. "I'm surprised you allowed him come anywhere near you or even touch you. You refuse to let anybody touch you. Hell, you barely allow either Vanessa or I touch you and we're your best friends."

"It's not like I wanted to," Daisy replied. "I would have done it myself if I could, but I was too weak to move. There's something about him. Something different than any other guy I have met. I just haven't figured it out yet."

"Sounds like someone has a crush," Veronica said with a smile.

"I don't like him like that, Veronica," Daisy said defensively.

"Sure you don't," Veronica replied. "Now, I'm going to make you some breakfast. It's not good for you to not eat."

* * *

_'I can't believe I fell asleep at her house,'_ Tien thought to himself as him and Choatzu flew back to their home. _'I don't even know why I even bothered to help her. I should have just listened to her and let her do as she wanted.'_

_ "Sounds like you care for her,"_ Choatzu said to Tien telepathically.

_"I don't, Choatzu. I could care less about her or what happens to her."_

_ "If you don't care for her, Tien, then why did you insist on helping her? Why did you defend her when Vanessa was all over her?"_

Tien paused and didn't say anything to Choatzu for a few moments. _"Just stay out of my thoughts, Choatzu."_

_ "We're going back tomorrow to see how she's doing," _Choatzu told him firmly. Tien stopped flying the instant he said that. Choatzu flew past Tien somewhat before he stopped, not anticipating him to stop.

"We're not going back," Tien told him out loud, breaking the telepathic conversation.

"Why not?" Choatzu asked. "You're the one who insisted on helping her. The least you could do is go back and check up on her."

"I told you, Choatzu. I could care less about what happens to her."

"You obviously care enough to have helped her when she needed it. Besides, you promised me you'd give her a chance and you better keep that promise. We're going back tomorrow." Choatzu flew off before Tien could say anything to disagree. Tien followed Choatzu in silence.

* * *

The next day, Daisy was home alone. She had just gotten off the phone with Vanessa. Again, Vanessa wanted her assistance with something, but Daisy declined due to the fact that her ankles were still hurting. Veronica called shortly afterward requesting to stop by to aid her once again, but Daisy declined her as well, telling her she had some work to complete.

After getting off the phone, she limped painfully into the kitchen to make breakfast. Preparing breakfast took longer than she would have liked because it hurt to remain on her feet for long periods of time, but was thankful when she finished and was able to be seated.

When she finished eating, she left the dishes to clean later and decided to take a bath to relax her ankles. Not feeling like using the bathroom she normally used on the second floor, she went to the one that was on the first floor. She twisted the faucet on to fill the bathtub and rested on the edge of the tub watching the water as it filled the tub. A few minutes later, she twisted the faucet off, tossing her filthy clothes into the hamper that was about to overflow. She let off a sigh as she lay down in the tub. She stared at the ceiling, lost in thought

About an hour later, the water cooled off and Daisy's fingers had become pruned. She unplugged the drain before standing up and stepping out of the tub. She enveloped her hair in a towel, then draped one around her body before walking into the huge walk in closet she had in the bathroom. It took her another half an hour before deciding on a pair of grayish black sweatpants, which she had pulled the pant legs up a little up her legs and an all-black tank top. She limped back into the bathroom to hang up the towels and brush her hair and teeth. Not concerned with how her hair appeared, since she hadn't planned on leaving, she half-heartedly pulled her long hair into a pony tail, not pulling the hair all the way through the last time she twisted the hair tie around. She finished off by putting on some deodorant and her favorite body spray.

As soon as she limped out of the bathroom, she heard a knock on the door. _'I wonder who that is,'_ Daisy thought to herself as she made her way to the door. _'I thought I told the girls to not come over today…Oh yeah. I forgot I told Choatzu yesterday that they could come back today. If I had remembered, I would have dressed more decently.'_ She peeked through the peep hole on the door to make sure it was them, and opened the door.

"Hey, guys," Daisy said as energetically as she could, smiling. Tien stood there with his arms crossed.

"Hi, Daisy," Choatzu replied enthusiastically.

"Please, come on in," Daisy told them. Choatzu accepted the invitation promptly. He turned around once he was inside and glanced back at Tien, who was still standing there.

"C'mon, Tien," Choatzu told him. Tien hesitantly listened to Choatzu and walked inside, still not saying anything. Daisy quickly glanced outside to make sure no one had followed them.

"So, how are you doing today?" Choatzu asked with concern as Daisy closed the door and locked it.

"My ankles still hurt," she answered as she turned around to face them. "Other than that, I'm fine."

"Then shouldn't you be off your feet so that they can heal faster?" Tien asked, finally speaking up, glaring into Daisy's eyes.

"I would, but I have cleaning around the house that needs to get done," Daisy answered, making eye contact with him, but quickly looking away.

'_That's strange,'_ Tien thought, blocking his thoughts from Choatzu, and not keeping his eyes off Daisy. _'She always made eye contact with me before. I wonder why she's not now.'_ Then he truly looked at her and realized that she had new bruises on her arms. He noticed them on her wrists as well. He looked down at her ankles and noticed that they were also bruised. _'I don't remember those bruises there yesterday.'_

"Maybe we could help out," Choatzu said, interrupting Tien's thoughts.

"You guys don't have to do that," Daisy said, looking at Choatzu. "You're guests here. You shouldn't have to do my work." Daisy's stomach suddenly growled loudly and she smiled meekly at Choatzu.

"I'll make you some lunch," Choatzu said with a slight smile on his face and strode toward the kitchen.

"Choatzu," Daisy and Tien said at the same time in protest, but he ignored both of them.

Daisy sighed and began to follow Choatzu. "Daisy," Tien began with concern in his voice as he gently grabbed her by the arm, but stopped when Daisy flinched and recoiled away from him the instant he grabbed her. He released her instantly, noticing the expression of terror and dread in her eyes as well as an additional bruise on the side of her face, hidden well by her bangs. Daisy quickly looked away, trying to calm herself down.

"Daisy?" he tried again softly. "What happened?"

"Since when are you concerned about me?" Daisy asked him sternly, looking at Tien again. Tien noticed her eyes glistened with tears, rendering him speechless. "You have made it obvious that you could care less about what happens to me, but you're just trying to be polite for the sake of Choatzu." Tien had suddenly felt guilty.

_'Dammit,'_ Tien thought. _'She has a point. I don't know why I am so concerned about her.'_

_ "You're starting to like her, aren't you?"_ Choatzu asked him telepathically.

_"I don't know what you're talking about."_

"Forget it, Tien," Daisy said, interrupting their conversation as she hobbled away from him as quickly as she could.

"Daisy, wait," Tien called after her, but she refused to stop and listen. Tien trailed after her as she made her way as quickly as she could up a set of stairs, stumbling on her way up. Quick to help, Tien rushed to her. "Let me help you," he said as he reached for her.

"No," Daisy said, pushing him away. "I don't need your help." Managing to get back up on her feet, she staggered away from Tien again. Again, Tien followed, leaving some distance between them.

"Daisy," he said worriedly. "What's going on?" Daisy ignored him and kept walking down the upstairs hallway, stopping in front of her room. She placed her hand on the door and paused. Giving off a sigh, she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Daisy," Tien tried again, but stopped when he had reached her bedroom and had a look inside. He noticed that the glass on the door that lead out to the balcony just on the other side had been shattered with the pieces scattered on the floor in front of the door. There were holes and dents all over the walls. The bed was also upturned and was in a heap on the floor. All the pictures that were hanging on the walls were now on the floor with the glass on them shattered as well, along with other various things that were in her room either broken or dented.

"I'm sorry, Daisy," he said softly. "I didn't realize someone broke in." Daisy dropped to her knees, the tears that she had been trying to hold back over flowed the brim of her eye lids and ran down her face.

Tien suddenly felt angry. _'Why would anyone want to harm her? If I ever find out who did this, I'll…'_ Tien thought to himself but stopped short when the realization of why Daisy had been upset with him. _'The only reason she has been pushing me away is because of this person and what he had done to her. She's afraid that I'm going to do whatever he did to her.'_ He began to feel guilty for treating her the way he had.

* * *

**A/N:** Finally! Got my next chapter done. Sorry it's taking so long, I've been really busy. Hope you enjoy. Pleas R&R.


	4. Painful Memories

A/N: Yay! :D I finally got this chapter done after a long time. Been busy lately and I finally have had some time to get my thoughts and ideas together. Hope you enjoy. Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes. I proofread my own work and don't always catch everything.

One more thing for reference:

"This is talking."

_'This is thought.'_

* * *

A week passed and Daisy hadn't seen Tien or Choatzu; it made her wonder if she'd see them again after that day. After a long day, Daisy tiredly trudged home.

"Daisy," a voice said when she drew near the front entrance. Startled, Daisy dropped her keys.

"Hey, Tien," she said in relief and grabbed her keys.

"How are you?" he asked

"I'm doing well," she answered as she unlocked the door. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Where's Choatzu?"

"He went to bed early. He doesn't know I'm here."

"You came here yourself?"

"I came to apologize for how I acted. I felt remorseful when I realized someone broke in." Daisy glanced away when he brought up the unpleasant incident. "Daisy," he continued and she wordlessly made eye contact. "When I realized someone broke in, I wanted to pursue them and seek vengeance. I would like you to know I will never harm you. So, if you would, I want a second chance." Daisy nodded in agreement. "That night…What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Daisy replied while she opened the door.

"I'm sorry," Tien began.

"Do you want to come in?" Daisy interrupted.

"I don't want to impose," Tien replied.

"It's fine," Daisy said. "You hungry? I'll put together some dinner."

Tien hesitated. "Uh, sure." He followed Daisy inside and shut the door behind him.

"What would you like?" Daisy asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Whatever you'd like to make," he answered as Daisy rummaged through the cabinets and Tien sat quietly on a bar stool beside the counter.

"So, Tien, how'd you and Choatzu meet?"

"Choatzu was an emperor and I was his body guard. We in time developed a friendship."

"An emperor, huh? So, what happened?"

"Someone demanded that I murder Choatzu. I planned to, but I couldn't because Choatzu was my first real friend. He resigned as emperor once he discovered our plan. He said it wasn't worth dying over and engaged in martial arts with me." Tien studied her and smiled. _'She appears to be relaxed. She's beautiful.'_

Daisy glanced up and noticed his smile. "What are you thinking about?"

"About how beautiful you are," he responded. Daisy blushed and checked the meal that cooked on the stove behind her. Tien blushed when he realized what he said. _'Damn. I didn't intend on saying that out loud.'_

"Dinner's ready," Daisy said as she took two plates into the dining room and sat them on the table. Tien moved to the tabled with her.

"So, how'd you meet Veronica and Vanessa?" Tien asked as he ate.

"I don't remember how I met them," Daisy answered. "I've known them for what seems like my whole life. We weren't always friends though, especially Vanessa."

"What's the deal with Vanessa? Why is she so…"

"She had a troubled past. Her parents abandoned her and she had to fend for herself at a young age."

"Was there anything you could have done to help her?"

"No," Daisy answered as she played with the food on her plate. Tien could tell that she was holding something back.

"Daisy?" he asked concerned.

Daisy abruptly stood and grabbed her plate. "I'm sorry, Tien," she said and strode into the kitchen. Tien quickly followed her and placed his dishes in the sink.

"Are you ok?" Tien asked as Daisy quietly washed the few dishes. "Daisy," he tried again. She turned and faced him as she searched for words to say.

Before he could say anything, a loud thump came from above. "What was that?" Tien asked and noticed Daisy's eyes widened in fear. Daisy remained still as another thud came from above. Tien bolted through the house and up the stairs and another thud came from behind the closed door of Daisy's room. He rushed inside to find nobody in the room and everything intact.

"Did you leave this open?" Tien asked as he strode across the room and looked on the balcony to make sure nobody was hiding outside.

"No," Daisy answered softly as Tien closed the glass door and locked it. He walked to Daisy, who stood in the doorway and anxiously stared at the ground.

"Daisy," he said softly and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Daisy shouted and shoved Tien away with force. Dumbfounded, he staggered back and collapsed. He stared at her with surprise as she stumbled into the hallway wall terrified.

"Daisy! Wait!" Tien exclaimed as she took off. "Daisy!" he called out again as he raced through the house and out the back entrance in attempts to catch her.

Daisy sprinted through the woods hastily. She knew Tien attempted to lend a hand, but she couldn't help to feel alarmed. She glanced over her shoulder to see if he followed until she entered a defoliated area and abruptly halted. She teetered over the brink of a cliff hundreds of feet high.

When Tien bolted into the clearing, Daisy lost her footing and plummeted to the rocky bottom below. Without hesitation, Tien dove after her and caught her halfway to the bottom. Daisy opened her eyes when she felt a couple of strong arms around her. Confused to see Tien, she glanced downward and noticed they hovered in the air. She glared at Tien with terror and fidgeted as Tien floated back to the cliff. Daisy pushed herself from him once he landed and dropped to the ground. She sat up, pulled her legs close, and wrapped her arms around her legs while a panic attack began to set in.

Tien knelt in front of her and gazed into her eyes. "Are you alright?" Daisy nodded as she gasped for air and convulsed. Tien plopped down beside Daisy. "That's some power you've got there. You surprised me," Tien said in attempt to calm her but Daisy remained silent. "I didn't mean to frighten you." Daisy didn't respond and continued to shake and gasp for air. Not sure what else to say, he sighed and watched the sunset in front of him.

"Tien," Daisy finally spoke.

"How often does this happen?" he interrupted. Daisy glared at him and he noticed the pain in her eyes she tried to hide.

"So, you can fly?" she asked him to avoid the topic.

"Yeah," he replied. He knew she was avoiding the topic, but didn't want to push her. "You didn't seem to care for it."

"I'm afraid of heights."

"So, it's not something you're keen on learning? I could teach you."

"I don't wish to flip out again."

"You have company here?" Tien asked in attempt to figure out what happened.

"Only Vanessa and Veronica know where I reside aside from you and Choatzu."

"And whoever breaks into your house," Tien threw out. Daisy threw him a painful glare and stood up. "Daisy, wait," Tien said quickly as he rose to his feet as well. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"If you really want to know," Daisy said angrily. "Fine. When I was younger, my parents planned an arranged marriage for me that I wanted nothing of. They had a suitor picked out, but the man is a terrible man. He attempted to rape me on several occasions and each time I managed to escape. I mentioned it to my parents, but they didn't believe me and said I was making it up. That was one reason I ran from home. I came here in hopes that I wouldn't be found, but my rapist is persistent." Daisy chocked on her words with tears in her eyes. She didn't want him to see her cry, so he turned back to Tien. "I feel like I'm in a hell I can't escape," she managed to say. "I haven't even told Vanessa or Veronica, but they don't believe anything bad could happen to me and that makes it difficult to talk to them at times." Unable to continue, she began to journey back home. Tien quietly followed, unsure of what to say to offer any comfort.

By the time they reached Daisy's house, night had fallen. Diasy stopped at the threshold and gazed at her house with dread. Tien stopped and glanced at her. _'How can someone so friendly and beautiful endure a great deal of pain? Why would anybody wish to cause her harm?'_

"I recognize that look. I don't want your pity," she snapped. Her outburst startled him. "Tien, I'm sorry I'm so on edge," she quickly apologized and her gazed softened. "You're the only one I expressed this to and you're the only one to show any sort of care for me."

"That can't be true," Tien replied. "You appear to be loved by everyone."

"They only fancy me because of what I do for them."

"You can always confide in me if you need someone."

"Thanks, Tien," Daisy said while she gave him an appreciative smile. Unable to help herself, she yawned.

"It's getting late," Tien said. "You should get some rest."

"Tien," Daisy said longingly, not wanting him to leave.

"Yeah?" he answered softly; delighted by the way she had spoken his name.

"Can you accompany me to Veronica's? I'd prefer to spend the night there and I'd prefer not to make the journey unescorted in the dark."

"Sure," he answered with a slight smile and followed her around the house. _'It's nice to see her calm. I wonder why there's a sudden change.'_ He stopped when Daisy hesitated at the threshold in front. "What's wrong" he asked.

Daisy turned and looked at him. "I want to apologize. I didn't mean to fly off the handle."

"Don't worry about it," re responded. "It wasn't your fault."

"But it was my fault."

"You were only reacting out of fear. I shouldn't have made things worse."

"But it's not like you could have known. No one has ever gone through the trouble of protecting me and I'm not used to it. I appreciate it."

"We're friends now. It was my pleasure."

"Thanks, Tien. For everything." She gave him a hopeful smile and continued through the woods.

"How'd you find this house out here?" Tien asked as he followed her.

"It was Vanessa's. She gave me this place when she took me in. She watched out for me when I ran from home with nowhere to go."

"You said the rapist was one reason you left. Was there another reason?" Daisy went silent for a moment. _'I hope I'm not pushing her and making her uncomfortable.'_

"My parents were perfectionists," Daisy spoke up. "Everything I did, they expected perfection and would punish me for any mistake. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere without them knowing and I had to have someone watching over me except for when the man they wanted me to marry was around. Then with what happened with him, I couldn't take it anymore."

"It must have been awful," Tien commented, but Daisy didn't say anything else and they continued in silence. When they reached the edge of the woods, Tien strode ahead of Daisy and pushed back the brush to allow Daisy to climb out with ease. He then trailed behind Daisy to the house nearby.

"Thanks, Tien, for escorting me here," Daisy said as she faced Tien outside Veronica's front doorstep.

"It was my pleasure," Tien answered and turned to depart.

"Tien," she called softly in the same voice he liked. He glanced back and noticed a yearning expression.

"Don't be a stranger, ok? I'd like to see you again. And soon, I hope."

"Sure thing," he answered with a nod as she yawned again. "Now get some rest." Daisy kept an eye on Tien as he took off into the air.


End file.
